Halo of Fire
by IchimayxD
Summary: Orihime was never one to do something as bold, but this is a new Orihime, and risks, as scary as they may be, could sometimes work out in her favor. Terrible summary, but I swear the story's good.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Orihime walked slowly around the hallway corner, her feet landing soundlessly on the bright linoleum floor, her head held up high as she approached her destination, her face set in determination. Today was the day, the beginning or the end of something she wasn't too sure but a big piece of her no longer cared, she just wanted inner piece.

She felt like a new woman these days, an actual woman. She of course still loved her sweets her TV shows and her crazy concoctions but she also wanted the weight in her chest to disappear, and she knew this weight was there because of her own weakness, her own neglect to it, to try and do something to get rid of it. Well today that would change.

She stood in front of the school library door for a few minutes, there was no going back from this, Kami she didn't want to whimp out but she could feel her heart trying to leap out of her throat. This was for her benefit, she heard Tatsuki's voice in her head cheering her on and smiled to herself before she slid the door open.

The room was brightly lit, there were still a couple of students sitting on the computers working on their homework or projects, and even a couple just lounging reading some manga, more people than she would have expected considering school had been out for almost two hours.

She looked around and smiled to herself when she caught sight of Keigo, his arms were splayed in front of him and his head was face down on the table, Orihime could almost hear his snores. Beside him sat the man she was looking for, his back was to her and she was thankful for that, she needed time to prepare for this. His bright orange hair was stuck up in every direction and she could almost picture him running his hand through it in frustration. Ichigo, as smart as he was, hated studying, she knew this from Tatsuki who would sometimes have to go over material with him and witnessed first hand his infuriation.

She took a deep breath to calm herself before walking up to him and lightly tapping him on the shoulder. His pencil nearly snapped in his hand before he turned to her, a fire behind his brown eyes she'd seen many times during his fights, it was gone a second after and a small smile came to his lips. Orihime had to swallow past the lump in her throat, the libraries lighting coupled with the suns setting rays coming in from the near by window made him look even more attractive than he already was, if that was even possible.

"Inoue?" he said surprised "What's up?"

"Um, hi," she whispered before clearing her throat, she could do this! "Can I speak with you? Outside please?" she said, looking around to make sure no one was staring at them, her cheeks were already flushed, and all she'd done was say hello!

"Sure," Ichigo said slightly confused but standing regardless. She backed away from him so as to not slam into him, she knew her head was harder than normal, maybe it was all the bean paste, beans do have Iron after all, and iron is good for bones so her skull must be extra strong, or was that Calcium? It had to be calcium, well she did drink lots of milk.

"Inoue." Ichigo said and she blushed, had he asked her something? Darn her wandering mind! "Is everything alright? Your reaitsu is different than usual, what's wrong?"

She stared at him slightly surprised, for him to have noticed something like that, when he wasn't exactly good at pinpointing reaitsu, it made her heart skip a beat.

"Nothing's wrong." she said taking a deep breath once they were out in the hallway. She made sure to keep an eye on her surroundings, but the hall was empty. Ichigo stood against the wall, his foot propped up behind him and his hands in his pocket as he waited for her to say whatever she'd taken him out there to say. Not that he minded, he was in the middle of a difficult English assignment, and trying to ignore his hollow at the same time when she'd shown up.

"Ok, here goes." he heard her whisper mostly to herself he was sure but it caught his attention.

"Kurosaki-kun." she said looking up at him suddenly and Ichigo had to swallow, his foot was back on the floor instantly and his attention was all hers. There was something in her eyes he'd never seen before, and the orange setting sun behind her coupled with her bright hair seemed to almost give her a halo of fire.

She licked her lips to speak and his eyes followed her tongue, lingering on her pink lips for a second longer than they should have. What the hell?

"I know it's very sudden, and I completely understand if you don't feel the same or if you hate me and never want to talk to me afterwards but I just, I had to. I'm sorry." she said so quick Ichigo almost missed it.

What he didn't and couldn't miss was the step she took forward, her hands suddenly on his face as she pulled his head down to hers, her lips crashing over his in an instant. It was quick, done just as quickly as it'd begun, and she was suddenly pulling away, her cheeks a deep red as her eyes darted up to his. Almost as if by instinct his tongue darted out to lick his lips, and he saw her eyes follow before she pulled him back in for another kiss, this one he expected and everything in him told him to react.

His hands came to her hips, pulling her flush against him and causing her to gasp, an opportunity he used to run his tongue over her lips and into her mouth. She tasted sweet, like vanilla and cinnamon sugar, it was surprising but so Orihime.

He bit into her lip as he pressed her into the wall and she moaned deep in her throat, her hands, which she'd run through his hair, pulled on a few strands as her nails scrapped his scalp and he growled into her mouth.

The need for air soon overtook them both and they parted, yet neither released their hold on the other. Orihime's hands fell from his head to his shoulders and his hands remained on her hips, although lightly, he belatedly realized he'd been squeezing her to him harder than he intended.

He rested his forehead against hers, trying desperately to regain his breath, his heart at his throat making it much more difficult. What the hell had just happened? He opened his eyes to see Orihime's closed as she tried to regain her breath as well, her long lashes over her rosy cheeks. She really was beautiful, he'd known this, he'd always known this, he'd just never seen her this way, never thought she'd see him that way. Orihime Inoue and Ichigo Kurosaki were two completely different people, they were like opposite poles. How could she ever like him? What could she ever see in him?

"No way!" Keigo's bombing voice came from beside them suddenly, startling them apart. "What did I just see! The Goddess of Karakura and my best fri-" Ichigo's fist reached Keigo's mouth at the same time Orihime turned away from the two, her feet carrying her away as quick as her shaky knees could.

"Inoue!" Ichigo's voice called after her to no avail as she turned the corner and dashed out of the building.

Ichigo looked down at Keigo, the thin line of blood coming out of his nose doing nothing to satiate the sudden thirst he had for his blood. This idiot ruined everything! He looked back out the window, catching a slight glimpse of orange hair and grunted bending down to pick the idiot up. He wouldn't run after her, God as much as he wanted to he needed time to think about this, about what she'd said before it all. He'd kissed her back, he'd wanted to with everything that was in him, so did that mean he liked her too? Fuck, he wasn't good with feelings!

Orihime ran as fast as she could until she was far away enough from the library to catch a breath. She'd done it! She'd kissed him, and he'd kissed her back! Oh what did that mean! His lips were so soft yet his hands had been so rough on her hips she was sure she'd have bruises by tomorrow.

She ran her tongue over her lips and couldn't help the smile that came to her. She had really done it.

She tried to refrain from skipping home, tried not to think about what would happen now, instead she focused on the slight ache on her hips, that constant reminder that he'd wanted to touch her, she focused on the thought of his tongue running over hers, and his groan when she'd pulled his hair.

She was happy; terrified of what was to come after this, but in that moment she was just happy.

A.N: What is up my Ichihime people! Alright so I know I have been lost for a very long time but I am back and with a vengeance! Finally got a laptop (thank you stepdad) finally fixed the laptop (damn charger) and FINALLY got over my Ichihime writers block! Anywho, hope you guys liked this, I wanted to do a story where Orihime takes the initiative to approach Ichigo without someone having to force her in to it and this came to mind. So we'll see what happens after this! Constructive criticism is always welcome by the way! Review?


	2. Chapter 2: You Are My Sunshine

Chapter 2

You Are My Sunshine

Her joy was very short lived, two days after the kiss Orihime was halfway home from the grocery store when she started to panic, her mind going over every little thing that could now go wrong.

"Oh Kami how could I have done that!" She groaned aloud, slapping herself in the face. "He's going to hate you for sure now baka." She could feel all her previous joy and determination seep out of her body and she slowly made her way to a nearby bench, belatedly realizing she'd made it to the park that sat in the middle of the trail that led to her home and the one to Ichigo's.

She sat back with a heavy sigh, her eyes watering in her mind's panic. She'd been so proud of herself for being so bold for once, for taking charge, and although his response was everything she wanted, everything in her now was freaking out at what her actions would put into effect, the only reason she hadn't freaked out before was because she'd kept herself busy in order to keep it out of her mind.

"What have I done." She cried burying her face in her hands. Could this day get any worse?

"Inoue." Ichigo's voice called from above her and the hairs on the back of her neck rose.

Yes, yes it could.

"K-kurosaki-kun!" She nearly shrieked rising to her feet as fast as her suddenly shaky legs would let her. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you leave the grocery store, I was trying to catch up with you, jeez when did you get so fast?" He asked and if she was in any condition she would have giggled, his already mused hair was all over the place, and his breathing was slightly labored.

"Sorry, I've been running laps with Tatsuki to stay in shape so I guess even my walking has sped up." She smiled and he raised an eyebrow. There was a moment of silence before Ichigo took a step towards her and sat himself on the bench she'd been on. She turned back to look at him and he simply patted the seat beside him, his face impassive, yet a light pink coloring his cheeks. He was quiet for a few minutes and Orihime could nearly hear the sound of her own heart racing in her chest.

"You ran off so fast the other day you didn't give me a chance to react." He said after a few minutes of terrifying silence. His brown eyes turned to her slowly and she nearly lost her breath, hadn't his eyes always been this intense? Why did it do so much more to her now?

"I was afraid of what you might have said." she heard herself whispering, seemingly unable to keep herself from being honest with him, his gaze was doing things to her it'd never done before.

"I guess I understand." He said softly, looking away and leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, he was wearing a long sleeve V-neck tee with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a simple black banded watch which he tugged on a few times before twiddling his thumbs before him and taking a deep breath.

"I don't know what to say really." he admitted softly.

"It's alright, I understand if you don't like me." Orihime whispered, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice, and burying her face in her light pink scarf thanking the slightly chilly weather.

"I do like you Inoue, you're one of the only people I actually do like." He sighed looking back at her. "I just never thought you'd like me in that way, and I've been so caught up in this Shinigami business since we were freshman that I never really thought about liking anybody that way."

"Do you- I mean, do you think you could ever like me that way?" She whispered, looking down at her shaking hands in her lap. She heard him sigh and bit her lip, there was so much going on today, so many feelings she'd never thought would leave her head were suddenly all coming to the surface.

"I don't-" he sighed in aggravation "I don't know how I feel, I just know I don't want to lose you." He said looking over at her. "I keep thinking of what you might do if I don't have feelings for you and the only thing I see is you leaving my side and that hurts. You're always there smiling and cheering me on no matter how big of an asshole I'm being so the thought of not having you there, I dont know, I could see my life without a lot of people but my life without you, that would just be a world full of rain." His cheeks were a deep cheery color by the time he'd finished his declaration and Orihime smiled softly.

"What does that even mean?" she giggled. She was so confused. "You don't know if you like me, but you can't see your life without me? How does that make sense?" She asked, and she could feel the tears about to slip from her eyes, she was so frustrated, how could that even be possible, how could he not see his life without her, but still not have feelings for her?

"It doesn't make sense Inoue, I know that but you have to understand where I'm coming from, a few days ago I thought we were just friends, then all of a sudden you tell me you like me, how am I supposed to react?" He said looking her way. "I want you to give me time." he said taking one of her hands in his and looking her in the eye. "I know it might be hard but I'm asking you to give me time to fall for you the way you fell for me."

"Something tells me you're half way there." Rukia said from above them and they both pulled away from each other surprised.

Ichigo's cheeks darkening to such a deep red Orihime began to fear for his safety and Rukia simply laughed loudly walking away from them with her hand in the air.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but Ichigo when you're down stop by Urahara's, we have some things we need to discuss. I'm glad you finally told him Orihime!" And just as quickly as she'd come, she was gone.

Ichigo grunted under his breath about annoying midgets and Orihime could do nothing but stare in shock, how long had she even been standing there? How did she know she had feelings for Ichigo? Said boy looked over at her, measuring her reaction before taking some bags from her hands.

"You never answered my question." He said, keeping his eyes anywhere but on her face.

"You didn't ask me a question." She said softly, tapping her finger on her chin, her mouth open in a small 'o' as she tried to recollect.

"Y-yes I did!" Ichigo said looking over at her a light blush on his cheeks "I told you to give me time."

"Well it's not really a question if you're telling me Kurosaki-kun." She giggled and he blushed a deeper red which caused her to giggle harder.

"Damn it." He grunted taking her hand in his and walking in the direction of her home, he hadn't blushed this much since he was a kid.

Orihime slipped her fingers around his and lent her head on his arm, forcing him to realize he'd been unintentionally pulling her behind him.

"Take your time Kurosaki-kun," she whispered "I'll be here whenever you're ready." she smiled looking up at him with a bright smile, reaching up on her tip toes and placing a quick kiss on his lips. Ichigo smiled down at her, his hand tightening around hers slightly as he started towards her home once more.

It hadn't been that bad of a day if he could say so himself.

A/N: Yo what's up all you IchiHime lovers? Ok so here's chapter two, that I have been working on for like three hours since I got home early from work tonight and the kids are asleep! I'm sorry you guys have had to wait so long, but I work two jobs and usually get home too exhausted both physically and mentally to write, I wish writing fanfiction got me paid, at least then I could put all my ideas down on paper. Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed and who favorited, I'll let you know I don't think Ichigo was too in character here but I'm trying to write them a little more mature, maybe around 18-19 about to graduate high school and junk. I promise next chapter I'll work on being a little more descriptive of like their surroundings and their outfits and thoughts and stuff, I love stories like that I just hate that I can't seem to write them. . Thank you guys for your patience, I promise I will do my best to upload sooner. My daughter just woke up sooooooo BYE! XOXOXO


	3. PBJ&M

Chapter 3

Ichigo sighed as he made his way down the street, his hands were shoved in the pockets of his grey Joggers, his face was set in a semi scowl, only semi because he was lost in thought. His head was of course full of images of one of his closest friends, now turned...something else. He couldn't stop thinking about Orihime.

He cared about her, greatly, he didn't think he could see his life without her, he'd meant what he said when he'd told her that his life would be full of rain without her, as corny as it had sounded. He'd needed her to understand just how greatly she impacted his life. He'd meant it when he'd said he'd try.

He ran his hand through his hair as he approached his destination, flaring his spiritual pressure for just a moment to give her ample time to get ready for the door, he didn't know what she was doing, and honestly didn't feel like waiting out in the humidity that lingered in the air despite the setting sun.

He made it to her door just as she opened it up and they both smiled when their eyes met.

"Yo." he greeted raising a hand.

"Hey!" she smiled.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked pointing inside and she nodded as she stepped to the left, her hands folded over the black shorts she wore, her face set in a smile.

Ichigo made his way over to her couch, relaxing into the cushions and enjoying the cool air in her apartment, he'd have to admit he loved coming here. Orihime walked over to her seat opposite him and he smiled a bit, he really did enjoy spending time with her, since that day they'd spoken he'd made good on his word and spent most evenings with her. They'd often just walk the park and talk or when the heat was unbearable they'd just stay in on her couch and watch movies. Today was one of those days and he looked over to see Orihime flipping through her TV channels to find DVD. He reached forward and lightly grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him so he could wrap her in his arms and lean back into the couch. This wasn't new to him or to her, but he still heard her intake of breath as she fell into him and he chuckled.

"What are we watching today?" he asked running his hand up and down her arm.

"A scary movie." she smiled switching the device on with the remote. Ichigo frowned.

"I don't like scary movies."

"I know, but I promise this one is good." she smiled turning to face him, her face an inch from his. "It also has comedy." she said in a grave voice and he pulled away from her to laugh. A booming laugh that came from his chest. Seeing the girl so serious caught him by surprise all of the sudden, and he couldn't help or even estimate his response. When he finally looked back at her she was smiling softly at him, her eyes soft as she met his gaze.

"I like hearing you laugh." she admitted in a whisper and there was a pause between them.

"Thanks." he whispered awkwardly, his cheeks coloring as well. "I guess."

"The movies called House Bound." she said loudly, turning towards the TV and lowering herself back into his open arms with a pout. "It's supposed to be suspenseful and comical so I thought you'd like it."

"I'm sure." he whispered as he looked down at her, she hadn't looked at him while she'd explained and some how he'd noticed just how smooth her skin looked, almost eerie in the light from the TV. Her eyes darted towards him when she noticed his approach and she turned towards him slightly, their noses brushing against each other as their lips neared until finally they kissed. Their eyes closed simultaneously and Orihime threw herself into his arms, Ichigo's arms wrapping around her and holding her close to his chest. Their lips collapsed onto each other passionately, caressing each other with a need neither of them knew how to explain. His hands ran up and down her back roughly and she moaned into his mouth wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

Ichigo broke from her first, his lips kissing alone her jaw until he reached her ear, where he paused, his breath coming down hard.

"Sorry." he whispered and Orihime shivered in his hold as his warm breath danced over her ear. Something within her had awoken with this kiss, with the feeling of his hands rubbing her body so hungrily, something had awoken and she knew it was her own hunger in response.

"It's alright." she whispered back, hoping her breath would instill in him the same reaction.

It did.

She pulled away slowly, her hands taking their time untangling from his hair and her cheeks darkened as she tried to remember doing so. Her fingers grazed his ears and she looked up at his quiet inhale, their eyes meeting and fire dancing in his. She'd seen many fires burn beneath his eyes but none like this.

He pulled her towards him again and she gasped into his lips, her eyes closing as she lost herself in his kiss once more, he was addicting. The smell of his after shave was driving her mad and if she'd ever wondered what could smell better than Peanut Butter and Jelly and mustard sandwiches, then here she had her answer. He pulled away from her once more and she made a sound deep in her throat she barely recognized, it sounded so throaty and moan like that she wondered if she'd really emitted it.

Ichigo chuckled against her shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist as he tried to take in some air. He pulled away from her enough to rest his forehead on hers, her eyes closing as she smiled. She was beautiful, Ichigo thought at he stared at her. Her kiss was intoxicating, her touch though gentle was demanding, her eyes and her smiles and the way she would speak to him sometimes made his heart beat so hard in his chest he almost didn't know if he'd make it out of the room.

What was happening to him? How did he get here, suddenly holding her in his arms and kissing her and hearing her most intimate secrets and being so soft with her when just the past week he was knocking thugs out in the street. Ichigo realized then that this had been going on for just once week, just them spending time together, and they'd already reached this point, was this normal? Were they moving too fast? It was just a kiss but did people kiss after just discussing a possible relationship in a week? Orihime hummed softly to herself and his eyes focused on her, the look on her face made him think he didn't care if it was normal because it was her, and seeing the look of satisfactory bliss on her face was worth it.

"We should watch this movie." he sighed and she cleared her throat looking up at him, he pulled her back into his arms and leaned back into the seat. Her hand reaching out to play the movie from the beginning as they'd missed a few good minutes.

The movie, Ichigo had to admit, was actually really funny and more suspenseful than it could actually be scary. He found himself many times chuckling and laughing out loud as the main character and her mom bantered, Orihime was beside him in hysterics for longer periods than he was and he took the time to just look at her. She'd changed this past week, if it was possible she seemed happier than he'd ever seen her before. Her smiles seemed brighter, her laughs seemed to ring out of her chest with a much deeper thimbre.

"You have to admit, it was pretty funny." she gasped between breaths as she recalled the scene where the psycho was choking the girls mother, for some reason that scene had been hilarious to her, and Ichigo realized she had a dark sense of humor, despite himself having laughed at the scene. He sighed as he leaned forward, shutting off the TV and looking at his watch, it was late.

"I'm sorry I kept you out so late."

"Your fine." he smiled a bit turning to her, his leg propping up on the couch. Orihime leaned towards him, her face turning towards him slightly as her long hair dripped over her shoulder.

"Thank you for coming." she whispered, the tips of her fingers on his forearm.

"Stop." he whispered leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

"Stop what?" she whispered in a gasp.

Ichigo chuckled against her forehead, she didn't even know the struggles he was facing to keep himself from kissing her until she forgot about anything that didn't involve him, and his lips over hers, and his heart racing with hers in his chest. He shook his head as he wrapped his arms wrapped around her lightly and he took a deep breath as he held her to him. Her arms wrapping around him made his heart swell with a joy that he hadn't felt in years and he once again realized how much he enjoyed spending time with this girl.

"Alright." he said puling away from her with a gentle smile. "I have to start heading home."

"I'll walk you to the door." she whispered with a faint nod and they both moved to stand. Ichigo stretched as he made his way down the hall and a yawn escaped his lips, he didn't realize he was so tired.

"Get home safe." she smiled once he'd stepped outside and Ichigo didn't try to stop himself from smiling as he looked at her.

"Yeah." he whispered. "Have a good night Inoue."

"You too." She whispered and Ichigo forced himself to walk away. His eyes darting to her still smiling lips for an instant.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted something as much as he wanted just one more kiss from her. His eyes darted up to meet hers and her smile widened, her hand reaching out to him. Ichigo didn't need a second invitation and in a second he had his lips against hers, his hand on the small of her back keeping her close to him; it was a quick chaste kiss, and he pulled away with a deep breath while taking a step back.

"Goodnight. Goodnight. Goodnight." He said as he walked towards the stairs, Orihime chuckling softly behind him, he didn't think his cheeks could get any hotter.

A/N: I'm alive! Barely, at least it feels that way. I'm sick, been sick for a while, things are happening, pills aren't working, writers block is at it's finest. Here's what my brain has been able to push out, so many rough drafts, and this is the end result. I'm kind of happy with it, kind of wondering if it's boring you to death, I need to build this relationship but I want to try my had at Ichigo's point of view. He's a pretty mysterious character for me. I am not up to speed on the manga which makes me sad because I hear its ending (spoiler?) Anyway, I barely got to make it past the Aizen arc soooooo yeah... my writing tends to stay towards that general information output. Ok so, I have to go sleep because it's late. Love you guys! Drop a nice review please!


	4. Run! Run! Run!

Chapter 4

She realized the moment she opened her eyes, the moment she caught his gaze that there was nothing he or she could do about this situation. He was in front of her now, panting as he struggled for breath, his head drenched in sweat and his sword clutched tightly in his hand. She wanted to cry out to him but she couldn't seem to find her voice, her throat and her head hurt so much, she could feel something sticky and warm pooling beside her and she knew she was bleeding, even as her powers yelled in her head for her to cast an incantation and heal herself. She couldn't find the strength to do so. She couldn't take her eyes away from Ichigo, what was happening?

Would this be it?

After things had just started to be what they'd both wanted?

They'd been walking home from school together when a burst of Reiatsu came down from the sky, separating them and casting Orihime into a near corner, fire exploding in her stomach as she bled through her school sweater. He didn't know how but he could hear her scream even through the ringing in his ears. There was a heavy weight on his chest and he struggled to straighten himself up, what on Earth was happening?

"Kurosaki Ichigo." A deep voice called to him from above and Ichigo's eyes darted up to find a man in his late thirties standing in the middle of the air, his lips pulled back into a toothy grin over perfect pearl teeth. "You are the legendary Kurosaki Ichigo are you not?" He asked tilting his head to the side a bit, almost confused, his long pink hair falling over his slim shoulders.

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo grunted, struggling to pull his substitute Shinigami badge from his pocket before he slapped it to his chest, transforming into a Shinigami with an almost eerie howl as he darted forward, Zangetsu ready to pierce through this man, and instead met with said mans fingertips as he caught it mid blow.

"I ask the questions here boy," The man said, suddenly reappearing beside Orihime's still form and looking down at her, seemingly interested. "I know she mean's a lot to you, your last venture into Huecoo Mundo proved so, perhaps she'll serve as leverage."

"Stay the hell away from her!" Ichigo shouted rushing him once more, he had to get Orihime to his father's clinic, the amount of blood coming from her would have her in critical condition for at least a month if he didn't do something now; damn it, things had been so good why was this happening now!

The man blocked his attack with his arm once more and stared at Ichigo as if he were analyzing every detail on his face, and maybe even his soul forcing him to pull away.

"I am Lepe, and I've come to ask for your assistance in a most urgent matter Kurosaki Ichigo." He said calmly, using Sonido to return to Orihime's side, the tips of his long fingers grazing her forehead, and Ichigo's eyes widened when hers opened, frightened grey eyes looking over at him.

Lepe turned to him with a smile that seemed more like a toothy grin before he turned around and pulled at the air behind him, opening a garganta.

"I will await for you in Hueco Mundo Kurosaki Ichigo, for now I will take your woman with me," He smiled. "You will come to me alone, or she will die." His smile widened.

"Bastard." Ichigo grunted, his hold on Zangetsu tightening. "Why don't you stay here and fight me like a man."

"Because I do not want you to die." Lepe's smile widened. Ichigo's rage burned at those words and he shot forward, he'd make him swallow those words. Lepe smiled as if this was exactly what he'd wanted and he shot his hand forward in a sweeping motion.

"Getsuga Tensho!" He said simply, and Ichigo's eyes widened as his attack shot towards him from the man's sleeve. Crimson red shot towards him rapidly ad Ichigo could barely jump away in time. How the hell was this possible? What the hell was this man! Who was he?

Ichigo's eyes shot down to where the man had been sitting and his breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

Blood.

A puddle of blood where Orihime had been, and nothing more.

A/N: AAAAAAAA And cliff hanger! Yeah, hate me if you want to but this is how it ends... for now. Love you guys don't hate me! I HAD to write this, it was begging to come out, and this was kinda where I wanted to put it soooooo here you go! I'll get back to you guys soon, I have more energy to write these days than I really thought I could have! Tell me what you thought!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She couldn't stop herself from grimacing as the needle pierced her skin once more, the pain was beginning to be unbearable. The man above her made a face almost as if he knew what she was going through before he continued, and Orihime let out a breath she'd been holding before sucking in one more. How much longer did she have to endure this torture? Where on Earth was she anyway?

"I'm sorry to have cut you so deep." The man sighed. "Truly I thought I had better control, I could have killed you!" His persona now was nothing like it had been back in the world of the living, Orihime thought. She bit back a wince as she looked around the room she was in, shock was beyond what she felt when she'd woken up hours before.

She was expecting to be smacked around and tortured once more, held in a cold cell with a lonely window facing a never changing landscape and instead she awoke in a warm bed, a raging fire burning in the corner of the warmly lit room and a platter of food on the table near her head. She'd jumped up confused so quick she'd ripped the few stitches that had been sown over her previous wound. Which led her to be sitting in front of the man who kidnapped her as he hummed a cheery tune and apologized.

"Miss Inoue I really have no other way to apologize without boring you to death I just hope you understand why I did this. I desperately need your help, and Kurosaki Ichigo's as well." He explained, discarding his bloody gloves and offering Orihime a small smile, it was like he'd been a completely different person.

"I'm so confused." Orihime admitted looking away sheepishly and Lepe gasped overly dramatically as he took a seat beside her.

"Oh Kami! I've apologized so many times before even telling you why I needed your help! Forgive me, this is my first time having guests over and Miss Inoue you and your boyfriend are famous around these parts." He said raising his eyebrows "You know, murdering a bunch of people does that." He added with a chuckle and Orihime's eyes went wide, to which he burst out laughing. Was this man crazy? Orihime wondered to herself.

"Anyway i'll cut to the chase, a couple of months ago, my husband was taken by another Arrancar, forced to work in his palace because of some squabble over payment of a debt from decades before. I need you to help me bring him home." He said matter of fact and Orihime frowned.

"I'm sorry, I still don't understand." She whispered. "You need us to help bring your husband back home? What could we do?"

"Well it's obvious honey!" Lepe said rolling his eyes "You and Mr Knight in Shining Armor are strong, and he's even stronger when he's trying to protect you. That's why I took you, I knew that if I wanted to ask his help I'd need to only have you in my grasp to have him listen."  
"So, this was all just to get him to fight your battle for you?" She said frowning, "As if he was some sort of soldier."

"Now now, I never said he would be doing the fighting for me, just that I wanted his help." Lepe said with a shrug, tossing his pink hair over his shoulder, and Orihime scoffed.

"If you just wanted his help, then you could have talked to him in the world of the living, without hurting anybody."

"I don't know if you noticed sweet cheeks but your world doesn't exactly bring out the best in me." He said giving her a once over. "I don't recall ever hearing about you being this bold." He added and Orihime's cheeks darkened three shades, her eyes down cast.

"Oh to be in love." Lepe hummed, a small smile coming to his face. Orihime looked up to find him staring off into space, and she wondered who this man really was. "I know it's a terrible lot to ask of you both, but I do miss my husband, and I know I'm not strong enough to do this alone."

Orihime stared at him, trying to see through any deceit but he seemed to be genuinely telling the truth and Orihime could only sigh as she looked into the fire, the shadows dancing on the floor reminding her of all the battles they'd been in.

"Kurosaki-kun will be so mad." she whispered.

And she had no idea how right her words were.

Ichigo was in the land of the living trying to find any means in to Hueco Mundo, his temper was boiling and he spent night and day beneath Urahara's shop, training untilhis legs gave way as the shop keeper made preparations for his upcoming trip. Ichigo hated himself at the moment; to claim to care about someone and not even be able to protect them, he was pathetic! He spat on the ground before standing up right, the tip of his sword barely grazing the ground. He had to become stronger, he had to find her, and he had to tell her how much he truly cared about her before he lost her for good.

"If you keep pushing yourself this hard, you're going to kill yourself." Urahara said from behind him, his face hidden behind his fan. Ichigo could only clench his fist tighter around Zangetzu's hilt.

"I'm not dying until she's home." He said and Urahara knew with every fiber of his being that he meant it.

 **A/N: Hello lovelies! I hope you all had a great New Year's and have had a great few months. I know I've been lost and I have no excuses. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the turn the story has taken, I hope nobody is hating it so far, that would make me very sad. It's a small one I think, just trying to build up some plot, we'll get back to some love soon. Drop a review and tell me what you think, I appreciate yu all taking the time to read this. :)**


	6. So It Begins

Chapter 6

Ichigo sighed as he looked over at Urahara, the man and Tessai were both preparing to open up the entrance to Hueco Mundo and he could feel his entire body buzz with anticipation, and fear. The image of Orihime sprawled on the floor helpless before him kept playing in his head whenever he closed his eyes. The puddle of blood she left behind was evidence that no matter how strong he got, he couldn't protect her. Was she even alive? Was he making this trip back into hell to find her dead body at the arrancars feet? Her eyes lifeless and staring back at him as evidence of his shame? His fist shook with rage and Chad placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, his cool reiatsu washing over him gently, like a winter breeze, calming his senses. If Ichigo had any energy to spare he would have smiled at his giant friend, leave it to him to always know how he felt and how to put him at ease; he was glad Chad was a man of few words, he didn't trust himself to speak at the moment.

"It's ready." Urahara said, his face hidden behind his standard fan as his eyes landed on the three men before me, each once again willing to risk their lives for their bubbly friend.

"Although I'm sure it's wasted advice, please be careful." He said seriously as he stepped aside, the Garganta they would pass through this time opening slowly behind him as the trio ran forward, sparing no time on pleasantries.

Orihime grunted as she adjusted on the bench she sat, she was allowed more freedom this time around, and currently found herself sitting outside the same crumpled castle she'd been held at the first time she'd been dragged away from her friends. Lepe had handed her a coloring book and some pencils, calling it emotional therapy or some nonsense as he smiled and showed her the way out. She looked around her now and sighed standing, she was so frustrated, she had no idea what to make of the man who had captured her this time around, it was as if he was a completely different person than the one who had attacked her in the world of the living. Almost as if of its own accord her hand rose and settled on her side where he'd nearly cut her in half and she suppressed a shiver.

He was dangerous, that was obvious, and she seriously doubted the world of the living had anything to do with bringing out that side of him. _Maybe, he's just that good at pretending._ She thought to herself with a frown, her hands balling into fists as she looked over at the horizon, there was something different in the energy that swirled around her suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight and her skin goosed in anticipation for what she knew was coming. She gulped, looking back at the castle as a very familiar weight surrounded her chest and she heard, for the first time in the days she'd been there, laughter.

It wasn't the sweet musical sound of laughter a child makes, or even the booming laughs her friends had when they found something she said particularly funny. This laughter, rocked Orihime to the core with its maniac undertone, it was as if whoever produced it had made a pact with all the monsters that hid under her bed when she was a child, the ones who hid in her closet, the ones who came back to taunt her when she was having trouble sleeping at night, to torture her with their sounds of anguish and she shook with the intensity of the fear that gripped her stomach.

"Orihime-chaaaaan~" Lepe sang as he stepped out onto the pale white sand, and Orihime looked up, suddenly realizing she'd hunched over, both her arms wrapped around her stomach as if trying to keep herself from splitting in half, trying to protect herself from whatever piece of her past was going to come out to swallow her whole.

"Your prince has arrived!" He laughed once more and Orihime winced, shutting her eyes tight and trying to force the sound from her ears, tried to keep it from seeping into all of her senses and engraving itself in her memory. Who was this man? There was no way this could be the same Lepe that had heeled her earlier, the same one that had handed her colored pencils with a smile, this was some demon pulled straight out of a nightmare! Some demon pulled straight out of HER nightmares, personalized to torture her and drive her mad with frenzy.

"Fuck." She cursed out loud and she shut her eyes tighter biting her lip so hard it hurt and a coppery taste filled her mouth. She'd have to add change to her curse jar back home, she was usually so good about keeping those types of words out of her vocabulary but there was no keeping this one at bay. Lepe stepped forward, the sound of his feet crunching sand letting her know just how far he was from her and she cursed once more, praying she made it home at all.

"Now now Orihime-chan, let's straighten up and look our best." He said from above her and if she could have she would have gasped, he'd moved so fast she'd had no time to force herself to stand straight, or to adjust to his sudden use of her given name, or even to register that she once again was hunched in on herself.

"Who are you?" She heard herself ask and he chuckled, his cool fingers wrapping around her upper arm and forcing her to stand straight and look him in the eye. Orihime had to force down the gasp that nearly escaped her lips. His eyes were so dull that she questioned if she was speaking to someone alive or deceased.

"Just a man tired of babysitting! Now, you're the damsel in distress, so honey DISTRESS!" He shouted shoving her away from him with a slap to the face that ached so bad Orihime could feel the muscles in her cheek tear and rip to bruise, her teeth cutting into her lip as she fell back hard onto the gritty sand. He came over her in an instant, his hand raising once more to deliver another blow but her shield was up faster than she could recite an incantation, rejecting his blow with a shock that ran from the palm of his hand to the tips of his toes.

Lepe grit his teeth together, glaring at the orange haired teen as she struggled to stand, her eyes were blurry from the tears she forced herself not to shed. She looked over at him defiantly, her bottom lip was busted, blood bubbled at the corner of her mouth and Lepe laughed, short and dry, completely unamused.

"You think you're all that with your fucking shield Orihime-chan? Just to block a little smack?" He rolled his cold dull eyes at her and Orihime took a step back as he stepped forward.

"Please, stay away from me." She managed to say, her voice steadier than she would have expected considering the fear that was eating at her stomach, his stance was telling her more than his words could ever communicate and she prepared herself for the incoming attack before he could even move.

"Let's see you block this." She heard his words as he shot forward, disappearing before he appeared behind her, his eyes boring down at her as Orihime turned, fear shooting through her veins but instinct taking over as his fist descended on her. She moved on auto pilot, her fingers wrapping around his wrist and somehow blocking his attack, her free hand wrapping around the collar of his shirt and pulling his weight forward and easily throwing him over her shoulder as if he were a sack of rice.

Her thoughts were racing as she felt his spike in reiatsu, and she gulped as it engulfed her, a darkness that seemed thicker than murky water, her lungs aching to breathe because of the pressure it forced on them. Her vision started to blur and she kneeled on one knee, she couldn't die here, she could never face Ichigo in the Soul Society if she let herself be killed by this psycho.

The thought of Ichigo was like a command to her Rikka, her shield once again coming to her defense as something powerful struck it, the force of the impact causing the sand around her to blow around her painfully, each grain hitting her exposed skin like needles sticking her skin.

' _Don't back down. Don't back down.'_ she thought to herself as the air cleared and Lepe stood a few feet from her, his dull eyes examining the girl before him.

"You're a surprising human." He whispered, cocking his head to the side as he observed her.

"Who are you." She said to him, her voice just barely shaking as she met his gaze. Repeating her mantra over and over in her head. She wouldn't give up, if she couldn't defeat him then she would at least weaken him until Ichigo was able to reach her. Her senses seemed to call out to his reiatsu and she almost breathed a sigh of relief when she realized he was closer that she'd thought.

"What a strange question to ask." Lepe said, once more regarding her, curiosity sparking a light in his eyes for an instant before they returned to their dullness.

"You," She began, not knowing how to phrase what she wanted to say. These were dangerous waters, and all she wanted was to go home and curl up in bed, forget him and his maniac laugh and the way he looked at her with those lifeless eyes as if he were a walking corpse. Something came to Orihime in that moment, her lost train of thought inciting a curious question in her and she turned her full attention to the man.

"Lepe," She whispered, the man only raised an eyebrow and she took the cue to continue. "What is your husband like?" She asked and almost as if she'd spoken a spell his eyes softened, light returning to them as he smiled, his hands coming to his face as he giggled.

"He is just the sweetest most dark thing ever!" He said bashfully and Orihime blinked as he began to ramble, what was happening?

"Miss Inoue how on Earth did I get out here? And why do you look so scared sweetie?" He asked, his brow furrowing in worry as he took a step forward and her immediate reaction was to step back, causing the man to frown.

"Don't you remember?" She asked and he cocked his head to the side curious. He opened his mouth to speak before he shut it quick, turning his head to the right as a barrage of arrows flew past him, followed by a dark and powerful Getsuga Tensho that he barely managed to dodge.

Orihime turned belatedly, realizing that Ichigo was rushing towards her, his face was set in grim determination and she gulped, turning to look at a shocked Lepe as he panted. Orihime looked back at Ichigo before doing something she never thought she'd do, she prayed to Kami for forgiveness before running towards Lepe and calling her shield forward to protect them both. Her eyes darted to the man behind her and she hoped she was making the right choice.

 **A/N: Hey there lovelies. So it's been a while since I posted to this story and what can I say beyond I'm sorry. I've been struggling terribly with depression lately, and that coupled with so many other things have kept me from even trying to sit down to write this. But I read something a friend of mine posted on Facebook and I realized I needed to finish this, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left this unfinished. So here'e the next chapter to Halo of Fire, and if you've been here from the beginning then thank you, your patience is beyond appreciated.**


	7. And So It Ends

Chapter 7

And So It Ends...

Ichigo felt his heart leap to his throat at the vision before him, Orihime, his beautiful Orihime was standing before the man she'd been fighting not two minutes before, her shield up to protect them both, from him, and he felt something in him break.

If he'd been any other man he would have wept, he didn't understand why he felt this sudden ache in his chest, like something was coiling tightly around his heart, but he didn't want to understand, he just wanted the man with the pink hair dead, tortured and ripped to shreds by his own hand, and he wanted Orihime, soft and pliable Orihime underneath him as he drew from her the darkest of pleasures, he wanted her in such a primal way that he nearly fell forward at the brashness of his thoughts. This wasn't the time for any of that, hadn't he _just_ confessed to her that he wanted to _try_ things with her anyway? Slowly? He shook all those other, strange and foreign -but not at all unwelcome- thoughts from his head as he zeroed in on the woman before him, he had reached them first, realizing he'd left his comrades behind and he forced himself to stop a few feet away from where the two stood.

"What the hell is going on here?" He heard himself ask and his voice was colder than he'd anticipated, he noticed Orihime's slight flinch at his tone and he cursed to himself, this was all just going down the shit hole, and fast.

"Kurosaki-kun," She whispered and his eyes narrowed as he finally took in her face, there was a large bruise covering her cheek and he could see the dried blood on the edge of her lip. Ichigo's vision went red and he suddenly found himself flying forward, his hand banging on her shield as he released large amounts of his reiatsu, his eyes glaring at the man behind Orihime, if he wanted him dead before now he wanted him tortured, twitching in agony, begging for death, crying for it, before he killed him. He wanted to make him pay! For touching her, for _taking_ her away from him!

"You're fucking dead." He spat out, his eyes briefly turned to Orihime before his sword collided with her shield, shattering it to pieces with a whispered 'sorry' that the young girl just barely heard, shock coloring her face as her shield fell around her. Her heart was beating in her chest so hard she worried she'd collapse, each throb made her cheek burn and she understood his anger, but something deep inside her was crying for him to listen to what she had to say, listen to what she thought was really happening.

Orihime tried to reach towards Ichigo, to stop him from lunging towards Lepe but in an instant she found herself pinned to the ground, her bruised cheek slamming into the gritty sand sending pain filled shivers down her spine, her hands held behind her back. She couldn't hold in her pained cry and looked up to see said man standing above her, his dull eyes once again staring back at her menacingly.

"Try to keep still." He warned menacingly just low enough for her to hear and she gulped, her eyes darting towards Ichigo who had stopped his attack short to prevent hurting her.

"Thank you for coming Kurosaki." Lepe smiled and Orihime could hear Ichigo growl, the noise was ripping through his throat, clawing to get out of his chest and she closed her eyes, wishing she could undo this entire day.

"Let her go." Ichigo growled through stiff lips and Lepe laughed, his foot digging into Orihime's shoulder blades causing the girl to scream. She wanted to avoid making any noise that could anger Ichigo any further but the breath was pulled out of her when Lepe dug his heel into her shoulder, pushing her further into the sand. She bit her bottom lip and winced at the pain that coursed through her face, remembering that he'd busted her lip when he'd smacked her earlier.

"Lepe," She whispered from beneath his foot and the man above her grunted, shoving his foot down harder to silence her. She forced herself to keep quiet that time, but she knew she needed to get away from him, not just to save herself but to possibly save him as well, if the gentle man that had healed her was still somewhere inside him.

Her chest felt tight, and her breath was coming in soft pants that had nothing to do with the man shoving her into the ground and everything to do with the man that'd come all this way to save her. Ichigo's reiatsu was spiraling dangerously out of control and she struggled to even remain conscious, she knew what happened the last time he was here and she was not about to let something like that happen, never again, especially not to save her.

"Tsubaki." She said into the dirt steeling her resolve, she felt tingles all down her spine before a bright gold light suddenly shot from her hairpins, slicing into Lepe's chest forcing him away from her, landing on the ground behind her with an angry grunt. She struggled to lift herself off the ground, and Ichigo rushed to her side, taking her as far from the man as he could, surprise set on his face. Orihime looked into his eyes for a second and her chest swole at the pride she could see shining in them.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, his hands suddenly on her arms, her hands and then her face as he looked her over, his eyes burning with rage and worry as they settled on her busted lip.

"Yes," she whispered, her hand raising to cover his as he looked over her bruised cheek. "I'm sorry." She said, her face heating up and he looked down at her confused.

"What on Earth for?" He asked, scowling down at her.

"Orihime-chaaaan that really hurt!" Lepe sang from behind him and Ichigo stiffened releasing Orihime's hand as he turned to him, a burning rage dancing behind his eyes as his fist tightened around Zangetsu's hilt.

"Bastard." He spat out, stepping forward only to be stopped by Orihime's hand on his arm.

"Kurosaki-kun, he's not bad." She caught herself saying and Ichigo's eyes snapped over to look at her, Ishida who had been coming closer to help her as well frowned and if Orihime was feeling up to it she would have giggled at both of their faces.

"I mean," She started as Ishida made her sit down "I don't know how to explain but it's like he has a split personality! When I came here he healed my wound and apologized, saying that the human world made him act strange but just as I realized you were here Kurosaki-kun he turned into this different person. He wanted your help, that's why he took me in the first place! He knew you'd come for me and he just wanted you to help save his husband but I think he is his husband!" She explained and took a deep breath, she was feeling light headed from her long winded explanation and she thanked Kami Uryu had made her sit down otherwise she feared she would keel forward.

"What?" Ichigo said confused and Uryu frowned, his eyes settling on the Arrancar before them.

"Kurosaki," He said pushing his glasses up his nose, his blue eyes never leaving the pink haired man who was struggling to stand, yet managed to glare at them, trying to breathe through the slice in his chest. "Look at his eyes."

"What the fuck do I care about his eyes!" Ichigo shouted, a vein in his forehead throbbing, looking over regardless, his eyes meeting Lepe's dull grey ones and his scowled deepened. _What the hell?_

"Doesn't he look dead already?" Ishida said and Lepe laughed, spitting as he straightened up.

"How insulting coming from such soft, half dead creatures as yourselves. You don't even live long enough to know what life really is." He growled angrily.

"Kurosaki, I seem to remember telling you to come alone." He added, drawing his sword and Ichigo grunted, stepping forward, Zangetsu ready at his side.

"Fuck you." He said bitterly, taking a step forward and one of Lepe's perfectly arched pink eyebrows shot up, his dull eyes remaining emotionless.

"Very well then, let's do this the hard way."

Orihime watched as the two fought, their swords colliding and howling at the emptiness that surrounded them all, like wolves in the night howling for company. Her eyes stayed on Ichigo the entire time, he moved with such agility and grace that sometimes she lost herself in his fights, it was like watching a performance, it seemed to be such second nature to him and she wondered if she would ever tire of watching.

"Inoue-san." Uryu said from beside her and she nearly jumped out of her skin having forgotten he and Chad were there. "Can you explain to me a little better what you meant by 'he is his husband'?"

"Oh," She said, reminding herself not to bit her lip as she thought "I remember during Kurosaki-kun's fight with Grimmjow, he said he had to eat other hollows to become stronger, and after being around Lepe and hearing him talk about his husband I started to think that maybe his husband hadn't been taken at all, maybe he'd," She hesitated for a second. "Maybe he ate his husband to become stronger."

Uryu and Chad both started at that, looking over to Ichigo as he swung his sword forward, cutting the pink haired man across the stomach, the intensity driving the man backwards and colliding through the wall.

"Then why bring you here?" Uryu asked pushing his glasses up his nose, his gaze set on the battle before him.

"And why bring Ichigo here?" Chad added, his gaze on the small woman before him.

"I'm not sure." She added finally, she had to admit she hadn't thought about how she or Ichigo fit into the equation just yet.

"GETSUGA TENSHO!" A deep voice rang out from before them and they all looked up in time to see Ichigo flying backwards, his own attack being held back by Zangetsu as Lepe stepped out of the rubble, a smile on his face.

Ichigo glared at the man before him, his own breath was coming heavy and he knew he had a couple broken ribs; his vision was blurring and his hands would occasionally loosen around Zangetsu's hilt. He had to end this soon, but this man before him was tricky, almost as if he were playing with Ichigo instead of actually trying to fight him.

"I have to admit Orihime's attack caught me completely off guard." He said, his hand trailing over the wound said woman had caused him. "But I wonder, if it can still be of use to me." He smiled and Ichigo's scowl deepened, Lepe's hand coming up before him, palm raised towards Ichigo as his smiled broadened.

"Tsubaki." He said simply and Ichigo tensed, preparing himself for whatever was about to happen, somehow Lepe had managed to reproduce a Getsuga Tensho identical to his own, he'd be a fool to doubt he could reproduce an attack like Orihime's as well.

He frowned for a moment before Orihime's scream reached his ear, and he turned in time to see her double over into the sand, her hands clutching her head. Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention and he just barely dodged a bright blue light that flew past him, before returning to Orihime's side. _What the fuck!_

Lepe laughed joyously and Ichigo's head snapped to glare at him, soft whimpers were coming from Orihime and he could see Ishida kneel beside her, his chest tightening at the obvious pain she was in.

"It seems that since her powers are connected to her they cause her physical pain if they stray!" He said with a smile as he rose his hand once more. "Shall we try again?" He asked, mouthing something Ichigo could only assume was Tsubaki's name as another scream tore through the quiet that surrounded them, her Rikka once again flying towards Ichigo. He didn't manage to completely dodge this time around and Tsubaki cut deep into his abdomen, forcing Ichigo to hiss as he tried to regain some footing. The pain was scorching, Orihime's powers had always been warm, he knew this first hand but actually being attacked by one was something completely unexpected; it was as if a fire was spreading through his veins, coursing through his body in his veins and for a second his knees bucked beneath him. Was this really her power? Or was this what Lepe's manipulation had done to it? This was incredible, like acid eating at his skin from the inside, it _hurt_!

He could hear Orihime crying somewhere to the right of him, but the pain in his system was slowly becoming worse and worse, agonizing as it crept onward, slowly.

"And here I was expecting more of a fight." Lepe said stepping towards him as Ichigo struggled to stand. His shoulders heaving with the effort it took to even breathe, the pain in his system was so bad.

"Should I kill you now with her power or with your own attack Kurosaki? You disappoint me, I can't believe he thought you could offer some help." He said disgusted, drawing his sword back to attack him, raising it just over his head before he suddenly faltered, twitching his head to the side before his hand rose to cover an eye, a pained groan escaping through his clenched teeth before suddenly he screamed in agony, falling to his knees.

"Ku-rosaki-kun-" Orihime's faint voice barely reached his ears and Ichigo rested forward heavily on his sword, he felt light headed, his palms were covered in sweat and he could feel the blood from his wound soaking his Shihakusho, and a part of him, the small part that could think through the unbearable pain, wondered if this was all because of Tsubaki's attack; he'd never felt this terrible after any of his battle's before, and this one wasn't even over.

"Fuck." He grunted through clenched teeth, his knees were shaking and he couldn't keep himself from falling forward onto them as his vision started to go white.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Her voice called to him once more, Ichigo could hear her running towards him and every fiber in his being screamed for him to move but he felt completely paralyzed, his fingers were suddenly digging into pale white sand and if his eyes weren't shut tight he was sure he might have shed tears.

He cursed under his breath, his eyes opening for a second just as Orihime's _Soten Kisshun_ surrounded him, warmth he had no idea he could miss so much suddenly surrounded him and all over his body felt more like sunlight was bathing his skin instead of acid running through his veins.

"Are you alright!" Her voice came from beside him, her hands pressed to the dome, urging her powers to work faster, her grey eyes looked him over and he could see she was close to tears. He managed a slight nod, he didn't trust himself to speak yet, he didn't know if it was because of the previous attack or if it'd always been this way -and he just never noticed- but he could _feel_ himself heal. He could feel the wound at his side as it closed, whatever poison had been coursing through his body almost nonexistent now, gone quicker than it had appeared. He turned to look at her and saw something flash behind Orihime's eyes as her face settled in a frown, her eyes blazing with something he'd never seen before and his already dry mouth went drier as she stood.

 _What the hell?_

He watched as she walked towards Lepe, who from what Ichigo could see was still on his knees in what appeared to be clear agony and he sweat dropped, what the hell was she doing!

Lepe looked up at the girl as she approached him, his face contorted in obvious pain and suddenly, before anyone could blink, Orihime's hand reached out and smacked him; the sound echoed in the emptiness, and three pairs of eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"Wha-" Lepe began, anger and shock evident on his face, clouding his reiatsu, but he made no move to stand.

"How dare you!" Orihime said, she had never felt the anger that was coursing through her in this moment before in her life, Ichigo's face when he had looked at her was ashen, his chocolate brown eyes were filled with pain because of him! Because he wanted to use them both for whatever sick purpose he'd pulled them into that hell for, because he'd used her power to hurt him!

"What do you want with us!" She demanded, and if she'd been outside looking in she would have seen the surprised looks she was receiving, her entire aura was radiating with the heat of her anger and Ichigo could _feel_ her, as if she was next to him touching his skin, her reiatsu reached him even through her barrier, he couldn't help the smirk that came to his lips and he suddenly realized that she was even giving off a faint glow as she stood before the man.

"I told yo-" he started, his eyes downcast.

"A lie!" She cut him off, she was tired of the lies, she was tired of people using her and Ichigo, and she just wanted to go home.

Lepe finally looked up at her, and Orihime forced herself to stop the gasp that threatened to escape her, one of his eyes was back to normal, the other was still dull and lifeless.

"Miss Inoue." He spoke, a small smile coming to his face as he struggled to stand. "You're right, I did lie to you before," He said, falling to his knees, the wound Orihime had inflicted before was bleeding heavily and Orihime could see how pale he was as well, his brow was covered in a light sheen, and despite her anger she felt the concern bubble in her chest.

"The truth is, my husband was nearly dead after a battle with a stray hollow, and he asked me," He sighed deeply, "he asked me to eat him so that I could absorb his energy." He said and Orihime inhaled sharply, she'd had her suspicion but to hear it from the horse's mouth was still surprising.

She opened her mouth to speak but Ichigo's arm was suddenly around her waist, whatever she was going to say dying in her throat as he pulled her into his chest and jumped away just as Lepe bent over backwards, an animalistic howl coming from his lips as powerful reiatsu burst from the wound on his chest, so dark and heavy it almost stung Orihime's exposed flesh when it reached them. He keeled forward into the sand, his hands over the wound as if he were trying to claw his heart out.

"You have to kill me!" Lepe shouted at them, drawing in what seemed like a painful breath. "I wanted your help in maybe separating our bodies, but he insisted on fighting you, I don't know why." He grunted, taking another deep breath to speak again.

"I'm sure you're aware that in situations like this the strongest of the two reiatsu will take over, in this case it's his," a pained look came to his face. "he will become me and I will cease to exist and there will be no stopping him."

"Lepe." Orihime whispered her hand resting over her heart, her eyes watering and Ichigo tightened his hold on her, scowling as he looked at the man before him, this was wrong on so many levels. This didn't sit right with him, he wasn't someone to take an easy way of a fight, just like his fight with Ulquiorra, if they weren't on even footing then he wouldn't, shouldn't do this.

"Please Kurosaki." Lepe grunted his hand still over his wound. Ichigo looked down at Orihime, there had to be another way.

"If she puts me underneath her dome, we'll only prevent the inevitable. What won't happen today will happen soon enough." Lepe said as if reading his mind. "Would it make it easier for you if I attacked you?" He asked, standing in an instant and rushing towards them with speed Ichigo didn't know he was still capable of.

Ichigo grunted, pulling Zangetsu forward as he pushed Orihime away from himself –the sound of her landing roughly on the ground pulling at his heart strings, he'd have to seriously apologize for that- his mouth set in determination, he knew this was most likely Lepe's last attempt to coax him into killing him, and despite his heavy heart Ichigo knew the words he's spoken were true, if they put it off, he'd only come back stronger, and who was to say they would make it out of that alive when he'd barely escaped this time.

"Getsuga Tensho!" He shouted, swinging his sword forward as a giant deep black crescent flew towards his enemy, catching him midair and engulfing him in its destruction.

He caught sight of something, burned and smoking a few yards away and looked away, strapping his sword over his back as he walked over to Orihime and before he could stop himself he pulled her into his arms, engulfing her in a hug. His nose buried in her hair and he inhaled her scent deeply, he could feel the heat of her blush against his neck and he allowed himself a small smile, hidden amongst her full head of hair.

"Why did we even come?" Ishida whispered to Chad and the silent giant just shrugged looking at the scene before him.

 **A/N: I AM SO DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER! HARDEST 3 HOURS OF MY LIFE! 3 FREAKING HOURS TO WRITE THIS ALL DOWN AND CONVINCE MYSELF IT WASN'T SHIT! Anyway, did you like my little addition of Chad and Ishida since they basically played no role in this entire chapter T.T it's not to say I forgot... I hope I gave this scene with Lepe a decent ending. 50ShadesOfAwkward (great name by the way) I love Orihime, and I love her strong and able to defend herself, especially having seen how much she's grown into her powers so heck yeah, she had to at least defend herself! Thank you for your kind words! Suzaanoelofse01 thank you so much for your kind words and your understanding. I hold this fic really close to my heart and I love you all so sticking by it!**

 **ALSO, I can't fully recall if Grimmjow said the thing about eating stronger hollows with 'Hime around so for the sake of my story we're going to say yes. Cool?**

 **Leave me a nice review please! Tell me what you thought! See you next chapter with some FLUFF XOXO**


	8. Flashbacks For A Wise Man

Chapter 8

 _Flashback chapter_

Ichigo stood on the ledge of a building, his eyes closed as he tried to focus on the feeling of the wind against him, on the feeling of it running through his hair, hoping it would help clear his thoughts. It was nearly three A.M. now and he was out on patrol, but all he could think about was Orihime. His tongue ran over his lips against his better judgement, and he bit on his bottom lip as he thought back to the kiss she'd surprised him with earlier in the day. Something in his chest tightened and he squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. Orihime's face was the only thing he could see even through closed lids and he couldn't understand what the feelings that were suddenly overflowing in his chest meant. What anything meant right now.

"Fuck." He whispered into the wind. She kissed him, _she_ pulled him into her and _kissed_ him! And he kissed her back! Kami, _he_ held onto her hips to pull her closer, her kiss sent tingles from his lips to the tips of his toes and back to the tips of his ears! And she had felt amazing, not just her body pressed against his but her entire energy was radiating a heat that made him feel _safe_ and so content that he hadn't wanted to let her go! Did that mean he had feelings for her as well? What the hell was he supposed to tell her now, how would things be between them now?

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair in frustration, he knew these were normal teenage problems but with everything that had been going on in his life and having to save the world he had never spared a second thought to having a relationship. He groaned in frustration once more, stepping away from the ledge to pace the roof of the building, his hand coming to his chin as he thought.

Is that what she wanted from him now? Would she no longer want his friendship if that was all he could give her? Was that all he could give her?

He paused mid step, looking up at the sky once more, how did he really feel about Orihime? It seemed like a stupid question, he cared about all his friends but even he knew sometimes he treated her different; he knew he was softer with her at times, as if he were speaking to his sisters, but he didn't see her as a sister, she didn't fall into that category in his head, but he knew that on some level she was one of his closest and most important people, so then what category did she fall into? His head throbbed and his scowl came into place with a deeper intensity than usual. He hated having to think about these things, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt someone like Orihime, but something in his stomach was twisting at a different question running through his head.

Would she leave him?

If he couldn't return her feelings would that be the end of their friendship? Would she no longer speak to him? No, she wasn't like that, he thought to himself, and he kept himself from rolling his eyes, she also wasn't someone who went around kissing people so maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought. Ichigo cursed out loud, deciding it would be best to make his way home and try to sleep on things so he could make a decision. A thought occurring to him as he jumped through the sky. He may have to talk to his dad about this.

(PAGE BREAK)

"She kissed you!" Isshin said surprised, nearly spitting out his coffee as he looked over at his scowling son. "Are we talking about the same Orihime Inoue here?"

"Yes damn it!" Ichigo said in frustration. He'd managed to catch his father awake when he got home, and the man instantly knew there was something serious bothering him because he didn't even attack him as he walked down the hall.

"Damn, I knew she liked you but I never thought she'd make the first move, at least not without some help." He said sitting back in his chair and Ichigo stared at him, wide-eyed.

"What the hell do you mean you knew she liked me, since when?"

"Of course she likes you idiot! Do you think she just hangs around you because she likes fighting Hollows all the time? Everyone knows she likes you but you!" He said rolling his eyes.

"The real question is, how do you feel about her?" Isshin said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk, his chin resting on his thumbs.

"I don't know." Ichigo said and his father chuckled.

"You like her." He said, rolling his eyes.

"What?"

"Ichigo, did you kiss her back?" Isshin asked, his tone serious, and the orange haired man felt his ears burn, nodding his head in response.

"If someone like, let's say Tatsuki, had kissed you, would you have kissed her back?"

"Hell no!" Came Ichigo's immediate response and Isshin chuckled once more, leaning back in his chair once more.

"That's a sign it wasn't just your instincts responding to a kiss Ichigo." His father said, a small smile on his lips. "Still, this could be a step in the right direction, if you're thinking about it so hard there must be a reason."

"Damn right there's a reason I don't want to hurt her if I can't share her feelings." Ichigo said through clenched teeth; his fist resting on his knee.

"Well Ichigo, does the idea of being with her disgust you? Are you repulsed by it?"

"Of course not!" Ichigo yelled.

"Then what are you really worried about?" He asked, his tone was serious once again, he wanted his son to genuinely think this over before he answered, and for a few minutes it seemed Ichigo did.

"Have you met her dad? Inoue is like the embodiment of good! She has the potential to be with someone who isn't going to cause her trouble, someone who doesn't get into fights all the time, who won't pull her into battles where she'll run the risk of dying all the time! She can have anybody else, she'll be safe and able to have a normal life with anybody else, why the hell would she want me? What the hell can I give her?" Ichigo sighed, burying his head in his hands.

"Are you really worried about her Ichigo? Or are you worried you won't be able to protect her?" Isshin said after a few minutes of silence. He could see Ichigo's shoulders stiffen and he knew he'd hit the nail on the head.

"You're probably right when you say she can be with anybody else, but nobody else will go to the extent's you've gone to in order to keep her safe like you will son." He said, rising to stand beside him, resting his hand on his shoulder. "Ichigo don't let your fear of repeating the past keep you from experiencing your future. If you have even one ounce of feeling for her, then tell her, live your life Ichigo, without fear of what may go wrong."

And with that Isshin walked out of the room, leaving Ichigo with his thoughts.

(PAGE BREAK)

Ichigo awoke the next day close to noon, his muscles ached, his head was throbbing and he was shocked and thankful his father had left him to sleep in peace. Thoughts of Orihime were the first to swarm his mind and he grunted as he lay back, his arm over his face.

What the hell was he going to do?

Something in his chest tightened and one thought shot through his mind so loud he wondered if he'd said it out loud or really just thought it. He couldn't lose her, he wouldn't. No matter what he felt, he needed her in his life, Ichigo grunted as he stood, making his way to the shower, steeling his resolve. He'd tell her, even if he couldn't share her feelings now, he wasn't opposed to spending time with her and seeing where things went, if she'd have him.

Today, would be a long day.

 **A/N: OMG THIS CHAPTER! Where did it come from? Why did I write it? Does this even go with the story so far? I'm struggling guys, struggling so much but I want to finish this without taking another year to upload a chapter. I'm already working on the next one so I hope you guys enjoyed this, please leave a review.**

 **Also, Guest, for the sake of the rest of the story, I will continue to use Kami as I believe it would be weird if I suddenly changed it. Please just replace it with God if it bothers you too much.**

 **Daianapotter me encanta que te gusto el capitulo! Quiero que Hime se defienda y no necesite mucho de Ichigo por que ella si es fuerte y es hora que lo vea verdad? A penas estamos empesando con los abrazos! Te veo en el proximo capitulo. :)**

 **Suzaanoelofse01, Carefreeberry, . , Thank you guys for your kind words! It makes me so happy to know you're enjoying the story so far! Fluff is on the way!**


	9. Interlude

Chapter 9

Ichigo squeezed Orihime tighter to himself, not because he needed a reminder that he had her in his arms, or even because he needed her closer but because he couldn't contain the relief that flowed through his veins at knowing she was unhurt. Orihime had her arms wrapped around his waist, her small hands holding him tightly as she took full advantage of the opportunity to hold him, how long had she been away from him? She took a deep breath, his scent filling her lungs and for a second the pain she felt in her head eased; she'd missed him so much.

"Let's go home." Ichigo said into her hair and she nodded against his chest, she wanted nothing more than to return to her normal –or as normal as things got for her- life.

"How exactly?" She asked, pulling away from Ichigo's embrace just enough to look him in the eye, her arms still loosely wrapped around him. He looked down at her and smirked and she caught the faintest trace of a dimple before his signature scowl was back in place.

"Ishida!" He said suddenly, turning slightly to look over his shoulder.

Orihime looked around his arm and blushed, she'd forgotten her other friends were standing there the entire time!

"Do you always have to yell in such a brute way Kurosaki?" Uryu said rolling his eyes and turning to face the couple. "We've been waiting for you to let Inoue take a breath to tell you we've already opened up the way back home."

"What did you ju-" A vein throbbed in Ichigo's forehead and Orihime couldn't contain her giggle, she was always amused with their ability to bicker over anything, though she effectively cut off whatever curse he was about to hurl at the Quincy before him.

"I'm sorry, are you laughing at me Inoue?" Ichigo said, releasing her and taking a step back, his hand rising to his chest in surprise.

"Never!" she laughed and Ichigo rolled his eyes, a small smirk playing at his lips, and before he could think twice about it he was ducking beneath her, wrapping his arm around her knees and throwing her over his shoulder. Orihime squealed in surprise, her hands coming to grip his back as she tried to look over her shoulder at his face.

"Kuro-"

"Off we go then." he cut her off, casting her a quick glance, to make sure she was fine, before taking a step forward towards a very shocked looking Uryu and the gate that would take them back home.

"If you say anything Quincy I will run you through with Zangetsu." Ichigo whispered as he walked passed him, and he scoffed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Idiot."

(PAGE BREAK)

Orihime thought her face was going to spontaneously combust it felt so hot, she was currently in Ichigo's arms, her arms wrapped around his neck as he held her close to his chest. He'd let her off his shoulder shortly after entering the gate, but before she was fully off he'd tugged her to his chest and pulled her feet off the ground once more, although now she was much more comfortable than before.

"Are you ok?" Ichigo whispered making his way forward, Chad and Uryu were walking ahead of them but none of them seemed to be in a rush, this was the first time they would return home without needing to be healed and it felt... odd, but not unwelcome.

Orihime noticed how his eyes stayed forward, she could feel the tense muscles of his shoulders underneath her hands and she couldn't help but smile a gentle smile, bringing her hand to the back of his neck and brushing her fingers lightly over the skin there; she felt him relax a bit and his eyes finally met hers.

"I'm fine." She whispered back, her nails scrapping the base of his neck as she caressed him, and Ichigo's arms tightened around her.

"Are you?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers "Or do you just not want me to worry?"

She tilted her head to the side, her fingers stopping in their exploration –she'd unknowingly been threading her fingers deeper into his scalp- and scratched behind her own head.

"Well." She admitted, "I am a little worried about what happened with Tsubaki." Ichigo nodded, he'd been wondering about that himself.

"Do you have any idea what happened?"

"No." She sighed, her fingers coming back to the base of his neck. "I won't know too much until I rest and talk to Shun'o." She added softly, resting her head on his shoulder as her body suddenly felt heavy.

"Try to get some sleep then. I'll carry you home once we get there."

"Kurosaki-kun," she pouted, her eyes drooping suddenly, she hadn't realized how drained she actually felt until just then.

"I missed you." she whispered, her words slurring a bit. Ichigo looked down at her sleepy face on his shoulder and something in his chest tightened, her words made his heart ache in a way that was so unfamiliar yet he craved to feel more of it, to hear those words from her more often. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, lifting her a bit closer to himself before responding honestly.

"Me too." And she was out just like that, a smile on her lips.

(PAGE BREAK)

"Kurosaki-san! I see things went well!" Urahara said waving his fan back and forth once the man stepped into view and Ichigo glared at the overly enthusiastic man, stepping around him.

"I'm taking her home, we can talk later."

"Oh," The blonde man smiled, staring after the orange haired Shinigami. "Such a gentleman." he chuckled.

Ichigo spared a second to turn and glare at the ex-captain once again before making his way up the stairs, doing everything he could not to disturb the sleeping woman in his arms.

The conversation he'd had with his father after Orihime kissed him came back to him as he made his way to her apartment.

 _Are you worried you won't be able to protect her?_

He looked down at Orihime and his scowl intensified, his thoughts going back to what just occurred with Lepe; he'd never seen Orihime stand up to anyone that way, he'd never seen her fight that way and it made him question just how well he knew the woman he suddenly held so tightly onto.

Ichigo made it to her apartment just as he admitted to himself that he wasn't really wondering how well he knew her, but how he could get to know her better, get to know what set her off, what made her happy, what made her sad, he wanted to know all these things and as he laid her down on her futon he allowed himself a second to just look her over.

She was breath taking in such an obvious way that he wanted to smack himself for having completely missed it. Her cheeks were smooth as if carved from the finest ivory and dusted across those ivory cheeks were just barely noticeable freckles, the most prominent one sitting just on the underside of her bottom lip. He sighed, he almost wished he hadn't looked at her lips, they were the reason they were here right now, in such an intimate way, because they'd stolen a kiss from him. He smirked, not like he was really complaining.

Ichigo tucked some of her hair behind her ear and decided he should go before she woke up to find him staring at her, that would be very awkward for them both. He wrapped her up in a blanket and made his way to her window, taking once last look over his shoulder at her before making his way to his own home.

They could handle anything else tomorrow, after she was well rested.

 **A/N: That's it! For this chapter yes yes! Guys you can thank Suzaanoelofse01 and BTS's amazing playlist on Youtube for the completion of this chapter! I had no idea how to get them out of Hueco Mundo in case you couldn't tell xD but yes this is it please let me know if you guys liked it! I've been feeling really down lately but today was an UP day so I had to take advantage! Love you all!**


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